MDPI’s Women in Research Panel was the first of its kind hosted by MDPI UK. It provided an evening of discussion, insight and connections. As one of the largest Open Access publishers in the UK, MDPI is committed to encouraging diversity and inclusivity in research. In line with the theme of International Women’s Day 2026, ‘Give to Gain’, the event’s aim was to amplify the voices, careers and experiences of women working in research and academia in the UK. 

Introducing the Panel

Whilst participation by women in research, particularly in STEM, has steadily grown over the last few decades, this progress has been slow to reflect within publication and citation rates. This highlights the underrepresentation of women in scientific fields, and the ongoing barriers women researchers face in making their voices heard and recognised within the research environment and culture.

Aimed at Early Career Researchers, students, and those navigating careers in research and academia, the event started with some light networking, allowing attendees to gain first-hand insights from their fellow researchers.

The panel, hosted by Professor Rachel Cowen, aimed to foster connections between women working in research, whilst providing a dedicated space to share stories and experiences of this demanding yet deeply rewarding career path. Joining her on stage were the panellists, Professor Toni Haastrup, Dr. Amelia Bonea, Dr. Noushin Karimian and Dr. Sarah Woolner.

Read more about the panellists below to find out who they are, what they do, and what they spoke about on the panel.

Professor Rachel Cowen: Creating an Open Environment

Professor Rachel Cowen is a Professor of Inclusive Researcher and Academic Development, University Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Gender and Sexual Orientation). She has 30 years’ experience as a cancer researcher, organisational developer and equalities champion.

Prof. Cowen’s aimed for the panel to be an open environment for people to share their experiences and perspectives. Touching upon her own experience as a researcher in UK research and innovation, she describes finding there to be a ‘glass ceiling’ and that she needed to have a PhD in order to break through these barriers and progress within her industry.

During her PhD, Prof. Cowen found there were certain barriers, mainly concerning women, such as starting a family and maintaining a work life balance, which lead to a level of gender disparity within senior roles within the university. She then became an inclusive researcher, focusing on academic development and gender equality specifically to help those facing similar barriers to her.

Her goal, working at The University of Manchester, is to help create an environment where everybody can thrive, especially ensuring women can be authentic and true to themselves.

Professor Toni Haastrup: The Meaning of Give to Gain

Professor Toni Haastrup is the Chair of Global Politics at the University of Manchester as well as elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and the University of Manchester's Academic Lead for EDI. She holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh, and her current research encompasses a wide range of topics within international studies including feminist, postcolonial and decolonial approaches to international relations.

During the panel, Prof. Haastrup speaks about her work within global politics and international security research and how there is still a big gender gap within this field of research. This is also reflected across many UK institutions, in which women make up less than 30% of staff in international studies departments collectively.

She speaks about how equitable research cultures don’t tend to happen accidentally, but rather intentionally, linking to the theme of International Women’s Day, Give to Gain. Give to Gain requires investment, with respect to time, with respect to resources, and with respect to institutional political will, that also takes into consideration the perspectives of those who have been historically minoritized or marginalized. Investment must be intentional to gain an equitable research culture.

Prof. Haastrup also spoke about her experience during her PHD, and the realisation that you can get support in many different places, as well as the importance of creating an established network for yourself. Her advice to the audience was to be referrable, perform service both inside and outside the institution, and be visible.

Dr. Amelia Bonea: Representation Across Continents

Dr. Amelia Bonea is a historian of science, technology and medicine educated at the Universities of Tokyo and Heidelberg. Her research focuses on Japan and colonial South Asia and spans the history of telecommunications, Earth sciences, and women in STEM. She has received the American Historical Association’s 2017 Eugenia M. Palmegiano Prize for the best book on the history of journalism in any area of the world.

Dr. Bonea spoke about her research field and the difficulties she faces when trying to find literature authored by women, or even women within the history of technology and the history of science. Women within this field tend to be under-represented, both as historical figures and as researchers.

Dr. Bonea speaks about representation not only from a UK perspective but also touching upon her connections with continental Asia and Europe, and how the challenges women may be facing may not be the same everywhere. It’s important to think about one’s local environment to understand the kind of problems women in research face, and how those challenges may therefore be addressed.

Dr. Noushin Karimian: Paving the way for Future Generations

Dr. Noushin Karimian is a Senior Lecturer in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in the Department of Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has more than 15 years of experience working on research and industry-led projects within her field. Dr. Karimian is the recipient of numerous national and international awards and prizes and is an active committee member of several professional associations, including the IEEE UK and Ireland Women in Engineering.

Dr. Karimian discussed her desire to become more actively involved in ensuring that future generations of women learn about engineering and become inspired to enter that field in response to the field’s lack of gender diversity.

She also spoke about her experience as a mother, how factors such as work life balance were difficult to maintain, and how having a linear career may not always be possible for those wishing to start families. She also touched upon the importance of having a support network and having those within her academic network help bring down barriers and make it easier for her to still further develop her career.

Dr. Karimian stressed the importance of speaking about these challenges openly and the importance of having events like the Women in Research Panel to normalise these discussions, openly and honestly speaking about the future of women’s challenges. Her main takeaway was that ‘silence maintains barriers and discussion creates accountability’.

Dr. Sarah Woolner: Building a Community within the Research Culture

Dr. Sarah Woolner is a Cell Biologist and Wellcome Trust Senior Fellow in the Centre for Cell Matrix Research at the University of Manchester, UK. Her lab explores how mechanical forces regulate fundamental cell behaviours, such as cell division, in our tissues using a combination of biological and mathematical approaches. Alongside research, Dr. Woolner also teaches undergraduate lecture courses, tutorials and practicals at the University of Manchester. Since 2022, Dr. Woolner has been an Editorial Board Member of the MDPI’s Open Access journal, Journal of Developmental Biology.

Dr. Woolner also spoke about the lack of gender diversity within her field, especially within technology, also noting that the gap has significantly improved since she first started her career. She emphasised that whilst it is important to try to change things on an individual level, when structural changes occur, they can make a big difference.

Dr. Woolner reflects on her role as a mentor and the theme Give to Gain, where she feels that the gain is building a community of people who have been helped, and who can then go on to helping others. Her main takeaway is the hope that when people realise the power of helping others, that this can lead to shift in the research culture. She reminisces on her early support that she gained from fellow researchers and supervisors, who helped push her to write various fellowships and go for certain promotions, and how she aims to do the same for fellow women within the research community.

Final Takeaways

Overall, the panel explored how institutions, organisations and fellow researchers can better support women in their academic career, whilst giving a space for connection and networking to help strengthen this community.

A big thank you to our panellists for hosting such an insightful evening!

Watch the full panel below.